Member Sign In

You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate but affiliated companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.

If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.

On Jul 18, Washington Federal reported fiscal third-quarter 2013 earnings per share of 36 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents. Results were driven by a rise in other income, partially offset by lower net interest income and increased operating expenses.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2013 advanced 4.5% to $1.39 per share over the last 60 days. Further, for 2014, the Zacks Consensus Estimate increased 12.1% to $1.48 per share over the same time period. As a result, Washington Federal currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Washington Federal displays a long-term upward trend in its loan and deposit growth. On further improvement in the market scenario, demand for loans will continue to increase. The company’s credit quality has also been improving, with the contraction of nonperforming assets and net charge-offs.

Efficient capital deployment in the form of regular dividend hikes and share buybacks is one of the strengths of Washington Federal. We expect management to continue deploying excess capital to enhance shareholder value in the forthcoming quarters. Moreover, Washington Federal is gaining more market share through strategic acquisitions. Considering its strong capital and liquidity position, we believe that the company is well-poised to continue expanding through acquisitions.

Top Zacks Features

Is it Time to Sell?

One of the most important steps you can take today is to set up your portfolio tracker on Zacks.com. Once you do, you'll be notified of major events affecting your stocks and/or funds with daily email alerts.

Zacks Research is Reported On:

At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors. This dedication to giving investors a trading advantage led to the creation of our proven Zacks Rank stock-rating system. Since 1986 it has nearly tripled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +26% per year. These returns cover a period from 1986-2011 and were examined and attested by Baker Tilly, an independent accounting firm.

Visit performance for information about the performance numbers displayed above.